The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-07-02
TIE INFANT JESUS.
EXPLANATORY NOTES BY REV. r.
S. MART HUR, D. D.

" l. Now when Jesus was born The full
account of the Savours birth we find in Luke
| Ii, leo. Matthew mentions this great event
| In the preceding chapter, and here only Incl
| dentally. We do not know with absolute
| certainty, and it is likely that we never shall
| know, the day, month or year in which Christ
was born, Perhaps it was designated by
| God that we should not in this manner know
Christ after the flesh. The birth Of Christ
| has been by different scholars fixed in almost
| every month of the year. Not until the
| Fourth century was there a somewhat gen
eral agreement upon Dec. %. There is oppor.
tunity for much discussion on this point.
Bethlehem of Judea.-This was an ancient
town belonging to the tribe Of Judah. There
was another Bethlehem in the tribe of Zebu
| lun. The word signifies "house Of bread Vt
| Here Jacob was bereaved of bis beloved Ra-
chel Here Ruth CLEANED in the fields OF
Doaz. Here was the house Of Jesse and the
birthplace of David and so in Luke the place
Is called "the city of David"
In the days OF Ilerol the KING. -Judea at
! this time was under the control of Rome.
Tho lIerol mentioned here was surnamed the
Great He was willing to be all things to all
men, that thereby he might secure his own
| fortune; but he utterly failed TO win the lie
gard of the Jews. They considered him q
foreigner and despised him also for bis con-
cessions to heatheniSm.
Wise Men, etC.-These We're magi or ma
gians Originally the name was given to the
Irestly class among the Medians and Per
slams. They studied ostrology and other oc-
cult sciences Later the name was applied to
n ln yot alt basa
According to their light these men were re-
| l!giouS. Tradition makes them three in num-
Der, from the three gifts mentioned in V. IL;
and it also makes them representatives from
aS many different countries These men fol-
| lowed the light they had. 1t led them to him
who is the true light. Now they come to
, Jerusalem, the capital of Judea, when look
ing for the king of the Jews.
| V, .. The King of the Jews.-Ths is such
| language as Gcntiles would naturally use
| The throne Of David had long been vacant.
The wise men were sure the king was born
they wished simply to know in what place.
| His Star-They thought the star in some
| way was related to him. The word trans
lated "star" may be applied to n fixed star, a
comet or meteor. Kepler first made the as
Economical calculations by which it YVES
| found that in the year Of Rome III n con-
junction Of the planets Jupiter and Saturn
took place three times during the year 1t
was also observed that these conjunctions
took place in the part of the heavens where,
according to aStroogy, the greatest events
are betokened. For six months these planets
kept near each other. Some interpreters
suppose that the wise men saw the first OF the
con functions and started; that they arrived
at Jerusalem in about five months and going
to Bethlehem the November conjunction was
the star which guided them to the place
where the young child was. This would
place the birth six years before our era
Chinese astronomical tables record the ap-
pearance of new star two years later. God
may have attached his communication Of
new truth to the knowledge which these men
had or he may have created a luminous meteor
for this special purpose. In the EAST. e. =,
we (when we were) in the east saw the star:
or we saw his star las it appeared in the east
Worship WORT originally means to kiss
tho hand or the garment, OF even the ground,
as a token of imferiorlty.
V. 8 HeroI . Troubled. The visit and
inquiry of these wise men startled Herod.
His severity toward rivals had already led to
the commission of murder. That rival heir
had been born to lis throne was news which
he could not welcome. All Jerusalcnl-This
is the natural form OF expression for all the
population.
V. A. Herod's conduct shows plainly that
he understood tho question of the Magi to
refer to the Messiah The chief priests and
scribes Probably the Sanhcdrin-the hish
est civil and ecclesiastical court This con
sisted of seventy-One or seventy-two mem
bers. The high priests, elders and scribes
were included. Sometimes, us here, only two
orders are named The chief priests included
the heads of the twenty -four classes into
which David divided the priests The elders
were men of rank chosen from among the
people; the scribes were the copysts and cx-
Founders Of the Scripture. Demand The
meaning is rather, inquire of them. IL any
persons could he expected to know about the
prophecy concerning the king of the Jews,
thcs, certainly were the persons.
V. 5. To llerod's question no doubtful re-
ply is given. 1t is as if they had said: or
course e must be born in Bethlehem, for
is is the place selected by God us told us by
his prophet.
V. 6. Instead Of Ephratah, as in Micah. we
have Bethlehem in the land Of Judea. This
description distinguishes it from Bethlehem
in Zebulun. 1t Is not at all, or not by any
means, the least. While III one sense it is the
least, in another and higher sense it is the
greatest. In the birth of Davl this honor
was partially enjoyed; it is completed in the
birth of the antitype, David's son and
David's Lord Rue-The idea includes all
parts Of Shepherds office, feeding, protect
ing, ruling. The latter part of thc verse is
not formally contained in the words of the
prophet, though the thought is found in the
context
VS. 70 The answer Of the Sanhedrim was
decisive. lIcrol would next naturally in
quire whether there had recently been any
birth at Bethlehem which correspouded to
tue prophecy. The wise men had mentioned
the star, so llerod inquiries when it had ap
pearcd, His desire was to perfect his plans
to destroy the child and perhaps the Magi
also; their homage to another would excite
his wrath. His hypocrisy for a time deceived
them.
VS.. 90, Tie sudden appearance Of the
star was unexpected They had followed its
light long time; that light they supplement
ell by inquiries where knowledge seemed
most likely to be obtained.
" H. Come into the House. holy
family may have gone from the stable.
Worship Masi observed the usual orr
entail manner of showing regard for supe
rior, l,,t a. v.,rIl Sao,n fbot there Ia n Inopar